Paturia, Shimulia Routes: Fog disrupts ferry service

Normal life came to a near standstill due to the bone-chilling cold coupled with dense fog which also disrupted ferry services and vehicular movement.

Several hundred vehicles had to wait on both sides of the Padma yesterday to cross the river as ferry services were suspended on two major routes -- Paturia to Daulatdia and Shimulia to Banglabazar -- for hours. 

Paturia is in Manikganj and Daulatdia in Rajbari. The Shimulia ferry terminal is in Munshiganj and Banglabazar is in Madaripur.

Meanwhile, a weather bulletin yesterday said, "Mild cold wave is sweeping over the regions of Sreemangal, Pabna, Naogaon, Dinajpur, Panchagarh and Chuadanga."

"It may continue," said the bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

"The weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country. Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country from midnight to morning and it may continue till noon at places over the northern part of the country," it added.

The weather forecast for next 24 hours was released at 9:00am yesterday.

"Night and day temperature may rise slightly over the country," the bulletin added.

In a 72-hour outlook, the bulletin forecasts, "Rainfall activity is likely."

Yesterday's lowest temperature was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius in Tentulia of Panchagarh, according to the Met office.

On the Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route, the authorities kept ferry services suspended for around 10 hours due to dense fog.

Ferry operations resumed around 10:00am yesterday, said BIWTC officials.

"Marking lights on the route became invisible due to thick fog. It posed risks of accidents. That is why ferry services were suspended," said Zillur Rahman, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Aricha office in Manikganj.

Five ferries, which were carrying passengers and vehicles, were stranded in the middle of the Padma river due to dense fog, he added.

On the Shimulia-Banglabazar route, thick fog forced the authorities to suspend ferry operations for around six hours from 4:00am yesterday.

Around 600 vehicles got stuck at both ends of the river, said officials concerned and transport operators.

"We are compelled to suspend ferry services due to poor visibility on the river. Around 10:00am, the ferry operations resumed," said Safayet Ahmed, manager of BIWTC at Shimulia terminal.

In Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, normal lives have come to a standstill due to the cold wave and thick fog that engulfed the entire region.

Vehicles were seen moving with headlights on during the daytime. People did not venture outside home unless faced with emergencies. The poor are suffering for not having sufficient warm clothes.

Delwar Hossain, 56, a cold-hit labourer in Kurigram Sadar upazila's Jatrapur, said, "I, along with my family members, have been suffering immensely due to insufficient warm clothes. We need assistance from the government and the affluent so that we can survive in the cold weather."

Mujibur Rahman, 52, a farmer of Teesta shoal in Kalmati village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said, "We are in fear of incurring losses as our Boro paddy plants may be affected due to bitter cold."

[Our correspondents in Manikganj and Lalmonirhat contributed to the report.]